Criminal Law: Felon in Possession of Firearm-ACCA Sentencing Enhancement-Qualifying Prior Convictions
The government appealed the district court's decision not to impose an enhanced sentence under the ACCA upon defendant, who was convicted of being ...
The government appealed the district court's decision not to impose an enhanced sentence under the ACCA upon defendant, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The district court ruled that defendant's prior state felony convictions did not qualify as serious drug offenses because the Minnesota state statute criminalizing MDMA was broader than the federal statute because Minnesota law included isomers not listed in the federal statute. On appeal, the government argued that the district court should have deferred to the agency's interpretation of 'isomers' to find the Minnesota and federal statutes equivalent.